Rotating toys



Feb. 5, 1963 c. s. JERMYN ROTATING TOYS Filed Oct. 11, 1960 JERMYN CHESTER S. J

ilnited. htates Patent 3,076,287 RUTATLNG TUYS Ghoster S. .lermyn, 4840 Ardingley Ave, North Burnaby, British olumhia, (Ianarla Filed Oct. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 61,879 Claims. (Cl. id-60) This invention relates to rotating toys.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rotatable toy which makes a noise upon rotation thereof, which noise may be varied by a simple manipulation of the components of the toy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable toy in which the rotational speed of the toy may be varied by means of weighted members which are removably insertable within the toy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rotatable toy which is of simple and robust construction and which is provided with quickly removable end caps for providing ready access to the interior of the toy.

The present invention provides a rotatable toy comprising a pair of hollow shells, each having an open base, a planar surface opposite said base and a rim portion adjacent said base, a pair of cover members, each adapted to form a tight fit around the periphery of said rim portion to seal off the open base ends of said shells, weighted members each adapted to be connected to one of said shells and means for detachably connecting said shells in co-axial alignment with said planar surfaces in opposed parallel relationship.

Preferably the shells are frusto-conical and the weighted members detachable and adapted to be inserted inside the rim portion of said shells.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings which show exemplary embodiments of the invention and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout. In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the rotational toy according to this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a detail sectional view showing an alternative method of joining the two shells together,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the line 44 of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view showing an alternative form of the end covers, and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

The body of the toy consists of a pair of hollow shells 1i) and 12, each of which is provided with a cover member i4 and 16 respectively The shells 1d and 12 and cover members lid and 16 may be formed of any suitable material but in the preferred form of the invention they are of molded plastic construction. The shells lit and 13?. may be of any suitable shape but as shown are preferably of frustro-conical configuration having open bases 18 and 20 respectively and planar faces 22 and 24 respectively opposite said bases. The planar face 22 of shell Ill is provided with a cylindrical spigot 26 which is preferably formed integrally therewith and projects outwardly therefrom co-axial therewith. The spigot 2a is formed with a central bore 25 aligned with an aperture 29 formed in planar face 22. The planar face 24 of shell 12 is formed with a recessed portion 3% having a central aperture 32, and adapted to receive the outer end of spigot 26 which forms a snug fit therein. The base of each of shells lit and 12 is formed with a rim portion 34 and 36 respectively which provides a seating adapted to receive the cover members 14 and 16 respectively. The shells it) and 12 are secured together with their planar faces 22 and 24 in opposed parallel relationship and they may be permanently connected, as for example, by means of an adhesive applied to the mating surfaces of spigot 26 and recess 3%), or detachably connected as, for example, see FIGURE 2, by means of a nut 33 threaded on to a bolt '39 which is passed through the bore 28 of spigot 26 and aperture 32 formed in planar faces 24. The cover members i4 and 16 are preferably in the form of caps having a main wall 4d and 42. respectively and a peripheral Wall =44 and 46 respectively upstanding therefrom.

The rim portions 34 and 36 of the shells it and 12 'and/ or the peripheral walls 44 and do or" the cover members 1d and 16 are preferably each formed with two or more apertures 48 therein whereby when the toy is assembled and rotated about an axis thereof air passes through the toy via the apertures 48 to provide sounds of varying character depending, amongst other things, on the speed of rotation of the toy, the area of the apertures 4 5 and the acoustic properties of the shells. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, apertures are formed both in the rim portions 34 and 36 of the shells and in the peripheral walls 44 and 46 of the cover members 12, the apertures 48 being located in such manner that when the cover members 14 and 16 and the shells iii and 12 are assembled the apertures 48 may be brought into and out of register with each other by simply rotating the cover members and the shells relative to each other. in this manner the volume of air passing through the toy and consequently the noise emitted by the toy when the latter is rotated, may be controlled, by varying the effective area of the air intake apertures 48.

Each of the shells ill and 12 is preferably provided with a weighted member 5t) and 52 respectively which may be of any suitable form and which may be permanently or detachably mounted inside the shells. Preferably, these weighted members 5@ and 52 each consists of a resilient metallic split ring adapted to be removably inserted in.

around the inner walls of the rim portions 34 and as,

which pressure is eiicctive to retain the rings within the rim portion and which also helps to retain the cover memera 14 and 15 on the shells 1% and 12 when the former are positioned over the rim portions 34 and 36 of the latter. The rings 56 and 52 are readily detachable, it being merely necessary to force the ends of the rings together whereupon the latter may be liftedout of their associated rim portion 34 or 36. Furthermore, sets of rings of different weights may be provided enabling the loading of the toy to be varied and thereby enabling the operating characteristics of the toy to be varied.

In another form of the invention shown in FIGURE 3, the spigot 26 and recess 30 are dispensed with, the shells l0 and 12. being provided with central apertures 54 and 56 on their planar faces and connected together by means of a resilient collar 58 formed with an annular recess 6t). With this construction, when the shells are assembled with their planar faces in opposed parallel relationship, the edge portions of said planar faces adjacent the apertures 54 and 5e fit into the recess so, the collar 58 being forced over said edge portions and maintained in position thereon by means of nuts 62 and 6d threaded on to the ends of a bolt 66 passed through the apertures 54 and 56 and the collar 58. The collar 58 is thus firmly held in position and is effective securely to lock the two shells together.

Although in the above, reference has only been made to separate weighted members, it is to be understood that if desired these may be dispensed with, in which case the shells or cover members may be provided for example, with weighted edges or rim portions. Also the cover members may, if desired, be permanently attached to the shells as, for example, by means of an adhesive or by welding the two components together.

In operation, the toy is used with a string '70 provided, if desired, at .each end thereof with a handle 72. The string 70 is passed underneath the central portion of the toy adjacent the junction of planar faces 22 and 24 and the toy is caused to rotate by rapidly moving the opposite ends of the string respectively towards and away from the toy. The more vigorously the string is reciprocated the faster is the speed of the rotation of the toy. By suitable selection of the weighted members and by adjustment of the effective area of the air intake apertures the rotating toy can be caused to emit avariety of different sounds.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A rotatable toy comprising a pair of hollow frustoconical shells each having an open base, a planar surface opposite said base and a rim portion adjacent said base; a pair of cover members each of which is adapted to form a tight fit around the outer periphery of said rim portions and adapted to seal off the open base ends of said shells, said cover members and said rim portions each having formed therein at least one aperture, said cover members being rotatable relative to said shells whereby said apertures may be brought into and out of register with each other by relative rotation of the cover members and said shells thereby to vary the noise emitted by said toy when it is rotated; detachable weighted members each adapted to be inserted inside the rim portion of one of said shells, prior to assembly of said cover members on said shells; and means for connecting said shells in co-axial alignment with said planar surfaces in opposed parallel relationship.

2. A rotatable toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein said detachable weighted members each comprise a resilient metallic split ring adapted to be inserted within one of said rim portions prior to positioning said cover members over said rim portions, said split rings adapted upon insertion in said rim portions to expand thereby to exert an outwardly directed radial pressure on said rim portions which pressure is effective, upon assembly of said cover members on said rim portions, to lock said cover members in position on said shells.

3. A rotatable toy comprising a pair of hollow frustoconical shells each having an open base, a planar surface opposite said base and a rim portion adjacent said base; a pair of removable cover members, .each of said cover members comprising a cap having a main wall and a peripheral wall upstanding therefrom and adapted to be mounted on the outer surface of said rim portion thereby to seal off the open base ends of said shells, said cover members and said rim portions each having formed therein at least one aperture, said cover members being rotatable relative to said shells whereby said apertures may be brought into and out of register with each other by relative rotation of the cover members and said shells thereby to vary the noise emitted by said toy when it is rotated;

removable weighted members each adapted to be inserted and retained Within one of said shells prior to mounting said cover members on said shells; and means connecting said shells in co-axial alignment with said planar surfaces in opposed parallel relationship.

4. A rotatable toy comprising a pair of hollow shells, each having an open base, a planar surface opposite said base and a rim portion adjacent said base; a pair of cover members each adapted to form a tight fit around the outer periphery of one of said rim portions thereby to seal off the open base ends of said shells, said cover members and said rim portions each having formed therein at least one aperture, said cover members being rotatable relative to said shells whereby said apertures may be brought into and out of register with each other by relative rotation of the cover members and said shells thereby to vary the noise emitted by said toy when it is rotated; weighted members each adapted to be inserted inside one of said shells prior to mounting said cover members on said shells, said weighted members each comprising a resilient split ring adapted upon insertion in said rim portions to expand thereby to exert an outwardly directed radial pressure on said rim portions which pressure is effective, upon assembly of said cover members on said rim portions, to lock said cover members in position on said shells; and means for detachably connecting said shells in co-axial alignment with said planar surfaces in opposed parallel relationship.

5. A rotatable toy comprising a pair of hollow frustoconical shells each having an open base, a planar surface opposite said base and a rim portion adjacent said base; a pair of cover members, each of said cover members comprising a cap having a main wall and a peripheral wall upstanding therefrom, said cover members and said rim portions each having formed therein at least one aperture, said cover members being rotatable relative to said shells whereby said apertures may be brought into and out of register with each other by relative rotation of the cover members and said shells thereby to vary the noise emitted by said toy when it is rotated; detachable weighted members each comprising a resilient metallic split ring and adapted to be inserted inside the rim portions of said shells prior to positioning said cover members on said shells, said split rings adapted upon insertion in said rim portions to expand thereby to exert an outwardly directed radial pressure on said rim portions which pressure is effective, with said cover members assembled on said shells, to lock said cover members in position upon said shells; and means for deta-chably connecting said shells in co-axial alignment with said planar surfaces in opposed and spaced parallel relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,933 Laurens June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,300 Great Britain 1907 379,582 France Nov. 12, 1907 380,074 France Nov. 28, 1907 380,460 France Dec. 10, 1907 

1. A ROTATABLE TOY COMPRISING A PAIR OF HOLLOW FRUSTOCONICAL SHELLS EACH HAVING AN OPEN BASE, A PLANAR SURFACE OPPOSITE SAID BASE AND A RIM PORTION ADJACENT SAID BASE; A PAIR OF COVER MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO FORM A TIGHT FIT AROUND THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID RIM PORTIONS AND ADAPTED TO SEAL OFF THE OPEN BASE ENDS OF SAID SHELLS, SAID COVER MEMBERS AND SAID RIM PORTIONS EACH HAVING FORMED THEREIN AT LEAST ONE APERTURE, SAID COVER MEMBERS BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SHELLS WHEREBY SAID APERTURES MAY BE BROUGHT INTO AND OUT OF REGISTER WITH EACH OTHER BY RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE COVER MEMBERS AND SAID SHELLS THEREBY TO VARY THE NOISE EMITTED BY SAID TOY WHEN IT IS ROTATED; DETACHABLE WEIGHTED MEMBERS EACH ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INSIDE THE RIM PORTION OF ONE OF SAID SHELLS, PRIOR TO ASSEMBLY OF SAID COVER MEMBERS ON SAID SHELLS; AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID SHELLS IN CO-AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PLANAR SURFACES IN OPPOSED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP. 